Review About Microsoft Surface Book

I’ve always wanted Microsoft to build a laptop.

Some days I’ll be seated on my couch, other days I’ll be seated on the floor of a convention center or press event, so I need a laptop that just works and won’t annoy me when I’m in the middle of writing an article. The Surface line (from the RT right through to the Surface Pro 3) has always been a compromised mixture of tablet and laptop. They’ve never really worked well in my lap, the trackpad and keyboards weren’t as good as a laptop, and battery life hasn’t been ideal for a portable machine. I could use them fine at home on my desk, but every time I took them on the road with me I just ended up irritated because they weren’t real laptops.

Microsoft now thinks it has an answer, and it’s calling it the Surface Book.

Microsoft claims it’s the “ultimate laptop” that’s designed to go head-to-head with Apple’s MacBook Pro and premium Windows laptops. While the Surface Book is primarily a laptop, it’s also a tablet thanks to a display that detaches into something like a digital clipboard. Starting at $1,499, the Surface Book is clearly priced at the high-end of the laptop market, and the 1TB of storage model tops out at $3,199. That’s a lot of money to spend on a computer. I want a Surface that works like a laptop, has a great trackpad and keyboard, and actually lasts me a working day.

So, is the Surface Book a really great laptop or just another mix?

Since Microsoft is calling this a laptop, let’s judge it first as a laptop.

Looking at the Surface Book for the first time, it’s easy to compare it to the MacBook Pro. There’s a big trackpad, nice key spacing on the keyboard, and an overall sleek combination of black and silver. All of this resembles a MacBook Pro, but Microsoft isn’t exactly copying Apple here. Just as it did with the Surface Pro 3, Microsoft has picked magnesium for the materials on the Surface Book. It’s almost soft to touch, and it doesn’t feel as cold and harsh as the aluminum on a MacBook. Microsoft is going for premium here, and it’s pretty clear it’s aiming for those tempted by Apple’s well-designed hardware.

MICROSOFT HAS DONE A GREAT JOB ON THE KEYBOARD AND TRACKPAD

I’ve found opening up the Surface Book requires two hands because it’s magnetically sealed together to ensure nothing moves around while you’re carrying it. That’s not because the tablet portion will ever fall off, but more to protect the hinge. Once open, the Surface Book’s 13.5-inch display is the slightly odd centerpiece. I say slightly odd, because it looks a little tall and unconventional at first. That’s because Microsoft has picked a 3:2 aspect ratio instead of the wide 16:9 or 16:10 ratios found on most laptops.

It took me a couple of days to really get used to it, and it reminded me of using Google’s Chromebook Pixel. Watching movies isn’t ideal on the Surface Book because you get letterboxing, but reading web pages is a joy because of all the additional vertical space. I spend a lot of time reading content on the web, so I’ve fallen in love with this oddly shaped display. I’ve also fallen in love with the color reproduction and the viewing angles. Colors really pop, and blacks don’t wash out at all thanks to the 1700:1 contrast ratio. Windows 10 is designed with a dark theme, and it looks great on this beautiful display.

Microsoft has paid a lot of attention to the trackpad and keyboard on the Surface Book, which is exactly what you’d expect from a premium laptop. I’ve always found the trackpad on the Surface Pro 3 to be a little fiddly and too small, but the Surface Book is the complete opposite. It’s a big glass surface that feels just like a MacBook trackpad to me. Scrolling is smooth around Windows, but I’ve noticed some stuttering in both Chrome and Edge. Google’s Chrome trackpad scrolling is always terrible on every Windows laptop I’ve used, but bad Microsoft Edge scrolling is new to me. Microsoft tells me it has an update coming to address both the Chrome and Edge scrolling issues, and hopefully the company can make scrolling there as smooth as it is in the rest of Windows.

Typing on the Surface Book is a weird experience at first. There’s not very much key travel, so the keyboard feels a little hard. It took a few hours of typing to get used to it, and now when I switch back to other laptops their keyboards feel mushy in comparison. The Surface Book’s keyboard spacing is pretty ideal, and I wish other laptop makers would pay as much attention to getting the keys just right. I really can’t fault Microsoft’s keyboard here. After years of making great keyboards for desktop PCs, it has done a good job with its first real laptop keyboard.

Microsoft has opted for premium laptop specs inside the Surface Book. On the base model I’ve been testing, there’s 8GB of RAM paired with Intel’s latest Core i5 processor, and it’s fast. Basic web browsing, a little bit of Photoshop, and regular desktop apps all perform well. I’ve also been testing a 16GB of RAM model equipped with a Core i7 processor. I haven’t noticed any drastic changes between the two models for my basic work needs, but in gaming the Core i7 model benefits from the Nvidia GPU installed in the base. Drivers aren’t supplied directly from Nvidia yet, so it’s difficult to measure performance fully, but my old Steam collection of games runs well. This should be enough to cover most games on basic settings, which is unusual for most convertible machines.

The really unique and interesting part of the Surface Book is the new fulcrum hinge. It snakes around the base and display of the Surface Book, and it looks awesome, like something out of an Alien movie. It has individual notches that extend to let you adjust the screen angle, and they sound like they’re unpeeling as you fold it out. While the hinge isn’t infinitely adjustable, it has enough viewing angles to cater for my desk and lap usage.

Because this is also a tablet, it makes this new hinge a little compromised. The hinge isn’t resistive enough like a regular laptop, so it bounces and wobbles a little if you’re typing in your lap or you touch the display while you’re using it as a laptop. A lot of 2-in-1 Windows laptops have the same problem, and even though Microsoft has probably done the best job yet, it’s not perfect. It feels a little top-heavy sometimes, and I’ve noticed this more in my lap at weird angles than on a desk. Most of the weight is traditionally in the base of a laptop, with little in the display, but the Surface Book has balanced this as best it can with the fulcrum hinge.

THE SURFACE BOOK GAP IS AN UGLY PROBLEM

The problem with the hinge is that it also reveals the main weakness of the Surface Book. If you close the Book down, the display doesn’t sit flush with the keyboard, leaving an unsightly gap. It also makes the Surface Book a lot bulkier than a regular laptop. Dust, hair, and all sorts of other nastiness from my bag now gets regularly deposited onto the Surface Book keyboard because of this gap. It’s ugly, but it’s a compromise that allows Microsoft’s laptop to also convert into a tablet.

Microsoft has built a little button on the keyboard that unlocks the screen from the base. It’s like one of those crazy buttons you press to enter a secret room, and it lets you pull off the display and use it as a giant tablet. Microsoft has built an entire PC into this display that doubles as a touch screen and supports a stylus. While the base unit and display combine into a laptop that’s not exactly lightweight at 3.34 pounds, the tablet section feels manageable at 1.6 pounds.

Because of the 3:2 aspect ratio, it really feels like you’re holding a piece of paper (except, of course, for the weight). I think that’s exactly how Microsoft designed this, and why the company keeps calling it a "digital clipboard." The only time I’ve used it in this mode is literally to take notes, because using it as a tablet to play games and watch movies is a little awkward without a kickstand or case to prop it up. You can reattach the base the opposite way around to create a stand, but I never did that because it turns it into an even more bulky tablet.

The new Surface Pen is greatly improved thanks to a more resistive tip, but there’s still a slight lag that will irritate artists who want to draw on this professionally. It’s fine for note taking though, and there's even an eraser on the top now. You can even hold the button down to activate Cortana, but I found it didn't always detect my voice very well. The Surface Pen also snaps magnetically to the side. That’s better than a pen loop, but it stillalways falls off in my bag.

While the tablet is a fully functional PC when detached, the base is more than just a keyboard and trackpad. There are two USB ports, a full SD card reader, a mini DisplayPort, and an additional Nvidia GPU on some models. It’s a battery dock for the tablet. Once you’re done using it as a tablet, you can simply dock the Surface Book back in and it stays coupled together with magnets and a "muscle wire" lock that secures it firmly in place. It’s a clever piece of engineering, but it relies on battery power to activate. You can remove the display when it’s powered off, but if you drain the battery, you’ll have to wait until it’s at least 10 percent before you can undock it again.

BATTERY LIFE IS INSANELY GOOD

Windows 10 also does a good job of switching between a touch-friendly mode and one more suited to a keyboard and mouse, especially if you enable it to do so automatically. There’s still a lack of good touch apps for Windows 10, but I like the idea of switching between using a laptop and straight into a tablet. It’s pretty seamless and apps snap back to their positions when you revert to laptop mode, so you can carry on working without issue. I’ve found that Windows 10 still doesn’t make enough use of the pen — I just can’t fit it into my regular workflow. I tried to write an email with just the pen to send a note to someone, and it doesn’t even activate a drawing mode. I tried to send a OneNote page instead and that failed. Microsoft is really advertising this as a clipboard, but Windows 10 isn’t ready to let everyone just use a stylus and take notes everywhere as it’s still a limited experience.

It’s worth noting here that I’ve run into a number of software issues with the Surface Book. I experienced blue screens on the machine nearly every day. Microsoft tells me this is related to the SSD, and that the company has a fix in place for retail units. I’ve also experienced problems with the trackpad gestures and scrolling failing after I’ve used it in tablet mode and reattached the keyboard. Microsoft’s docking app to control the detaching of the tablet also occasionally crashes. I’ve also been unable to test Windows Hello, a feature that lets you log in with just your face, on the Surface Book as the drivers aren’t ready yet. Together with the software crashes, it feels like Microsoft might be rushing to get the Surface Book ready in time.

Battery life is one of the key parts of a laptop for me. While the tablet portion should last around 4 hours, Microsoft claims up to 12 hours if you’re using it as a regular laptop. It’s not lying. During our own Verge battery test running in Chrome we found the Surface Book lasted nearly 13 hours for the base model without the additional GPU. It’s incredibly rare for a Windows laptop to have great battery life, and I’m amazed it lasts me a full working day. With a mix of usage outside of just surfing the web, I’ve found it lasts around 7 hours. That’s watching HD movies, using Photoshop, and surfing the web with Twitter open all day. It takes around 2 hours to charge the tablet itself, and around 4 or 5 hours to charge both. Because the keyboard and tablet both use the same Surface connector, you can use a single cable to do both, or just charge them combined in the regular laptop mode.

Is the Surface really the ultimate laptop that Microsoft claims it is? Nearly. I say that because sometimes I’m using the Surface Book and I just wish Microsoft had made a pure laptop. The display wobble can be irritating, and the weird gap when it’s closed means I have to clean the Surface Book every day. If Microsoft can fix the hinge in future versions and make it a lot less bulky then this could be great. It has a beautiful display, amazing battery life, and the keyboard and trackpad feel great. But even though that’s everything I want in a laptop, the accommodations Microsoft made to enable the tablet end up making the laptop experience less than ideal.

I rarely used it as a tablet, partly because Windows 10 really doesn’t make enough use of the stylus to make it feel natural, but also because most of my work requires a keyboard. I suspect that’s the same for most people buying a laptop. The lack of Windows 10 tablet apps means I still reach for an iPad or even a large phone if I want a tablet experience, and until that situation improves it’s still really hard to buy into this whole hybrid concept. I really like it as an idea, but right now it’s just that: an idea. It feels like the Surface Book has a detachable display because Microsoft needs it to be different, not because you actually need to remove it. Having a removable display doesn’t make this the "ultimate laptop."

Microsoft can clearly make a laptop that competes with the MacBook Pro with all the best ingredients, but it just needs to find a better recipe to combine all its innovative hardware. The Surface Book is seriously impressive, and as a hybrid it’s probably the best out there.

If Microsoft had just made a laptop, I suspect I'd be calling it the best Windows laptop out there, but it didn't. While it's great Microsoft is pushing the idea of a tablet and a laptop hybrid constantly, I'm still hunting for the perfect mix of hardware that really shows this is the future.

Photography by Sean O'Kane

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Reviews About Sony H.ear On Wireless NC

I've been a little underwhelmed by Sony's wireless headphone offerings in the past, but the H.ear On Wireless NC headphone ($350; ‎£220; AU$500) may be its best Bluetooth headphone to date.

The headphone, which is also known as the MDR-1ABN, is very comfortable, although at 10.25 ounces or 290 grams it's a little heavier than Bose's QuietComfort 35 and isn't quite as comfortable as that model. But at least it's a close contest, and most people shouldn't have a problem wearing this headphone for long stretches.

The H.ear On Wireless NC folds up into an included carrying case. However, it doesn't fold flat, so the case ends up being a little bulky and I didn't find this to be the most comfortable headphone to walk around with wearing around your neck (I usually don't comment on what a headphone feels like when it's off your ears, but that perspective has become part of the headphone wearing experience as headphones have become fashion accessories).

The headphone comes in five different colors, some of which are very eye-catching, including the blue version I reviewed (though it looks more like teal to me). The finish looks great but I'm not sure how it will hold up over time. A ding here or there could end up looking like a real blemish. (I'm personally very careful with review samples, but some people are harder on their headphones.)

Volume and track controls are on the right earcup and you can opt to turn the noise canceling on or off or plug in a cord if you wish to use this as a wired headphone. Sony says its Automatic AI Noise Cancelling function constantly analyzes environmental ambient sound components and automatically selects the most effective noise canceling mode.

I thought the noise canceling was excellent, though a touch less effective than Bose's. I wore the Sony in the streets of New York, on the subway, and in an open office environment with a fan blowing in my face. Like the Bose, it doesn't completely eliminate ambient noise, but it muffles it considerably. Also important: you don't get the audible hiss you get from some lesser noise-canceling headphones; it's ever so faint when no music is playing. (Note: some people are sensitive to the feeling of pressure that noise-canceling headphones inherently exhibit, and are unable to use them).

The H.ear On Wireless NC also makes for a good headset for making cell phone calls, and it has two built-in microphones, one outside and one inside the housing. The Bose QC35 and Sennheiser PXC 550 place more emphasis on this aspect of the headphone's performance, and as far headset use goes, they have a little more business-class feel to them. But the Sony isn't far behind.

Battery life is rated at 20 hours with Bluetooth and noise canceling on. You'll do better than that if you bring the volume down and turn of the noise canceling.

This headphone arguably sounds slightly better than the Bose QC35 . It's well balanced, with good clarity and tight bass that isn't overpowering. I also thought it sounded pretty natural for a Bluetooth headphone. By that I mean it does a pretty good imitation of a wired headphone, which is hard to do.

With Sony's previous premium Bluetooth headphone, the MDR-1ABT, the bass sounded a touch muddy and the headphone lacked the definition and zip of the wired MDR-1A -- they seemed like two completely different headphones even though they shared similar designs and model numbers (the MDR-1A is one of our favorite over-ear headphones).

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The good news here is that the H.ear On Wireless NC is much more in line with the sound profile of the earlier MDR-1R and the aforementioned MDR-1A. And while this new H.ear On model isn't quite as comfortable as those headphones, it feels like it's built from the same DNA, sonically speaking. That couldn't quite be said of the wired H.ear On, which I felt was a good but not great headphone.

While I'm making comparisons, the sound of this model doesn't quite measure up to that of Sennheiser's Momentum II Wireless headphone. That headphone offers slightly more detail and texture and its sound is a little more exciting (the Sony is smooth and level-headed). As all things audio, however, my listening experience may not match yours, and some people may prefer the sound of the Sony or the Bose. (It's also worth mentioning the Sennheiser PXC 550, another excellent wireless NC headphone that falls slightly short of the Sony for sound but has other merits).

OK, so after all that, is the H.ear On Wireless NC better than the Bose? Well, the Bose has a slight edge in comfort, design and noise canceling, but this Sony arguably has the edge in sound quality. That's probably not enough to declare it the winner, but I do think it's an excellent wireless headphone.

Android 7.0 Nougat review: great, but does it matter?

Google has announced that the latest version of Android, 7.0 Nougat, is rolling out to newer Nexus devices starting today. It’s a good upgrade, but only available if you have a recent Nexus device like the Nexus 6, 6P, 5X, Pixel C, or Nexus 9 tablet — and it will take some time for everybody's devices to receive the over-the-air update. I've been using the various public betas that have been runningsince March of this year and most of the bugs have been worked out.

Nougat isn’t radically different from the last version, Marshmallow, but does add a handful of notable user-facing features. Some of them, like improved multitasking, are long overdue and really useful on tablets. The rest are tweaks around the edges — but there are bigger changes underneath that should make Android faster and more secure, too.

But the story of Nougat isn't really whether it’s any good. Instead, it’s the same old Android tale: unless you have a Nexus, it could be a few months, it could be a year, before it becomes available on your phone. The real story of Nougat isn't happening today, it's going to happen over the next few months as we watch to see which Android phones will actually be updated.

What kind of story is this? For Nexus owners, it’s a heartwarming yarn. For nearly everybody else, it’s a mystery.

Multitasking

With Nougat, Google has added a major feature that's been a long time coming: split-screen support. It's been available on Samsung, Apple, and Windows devices for some time now, and now Google has weighed in with a system-level version of it that will hopefully become well-supported by all apps. It also works on phones instead of just on tablets — which is smart given how big a lot of Android phones are these days.

It works thusly: you long-press the square "Overview" button and your main window slides up to the top or over to the left, depending on whether you are using your Android device in portrait or landscape. In the remaining space, you get the good old multitasking view of your open apps, where you can either pick one or hit the home button to launch something else. You can adjust the size of each window and switch out the bottom / right one the usual way, by tapping the multitasking or home button to choose another app.

Every mobile split-screen system takes a bit of getting used to. The UX for all of them is confusing at first, and so Nougat's variation also takes some time to understand. For me, it clicked when I realized that the core behavior going into split screen is essentially the same as "pinning" the main app to the top or left, and then the other screen can be switched as usual.

SPLIT SCREEN IS LONG OVERDUE ON TABLETS

Once you get it, there are just the devils in the details to worry about. Theoretically, you can drag and drop text or images in supported apps, but in practice I never got this to work reliably. Some apps don’t fully support split screen, while others work fine but pop up a warning anyway. One nice bit: Chrome now has a menu option called "Move to other window" which does exactly what it says — so you can have two browser windows open side by side.

I find that split screen is essential and useful on a tablet like the Pixel C. Thanks to Nougat, the Pixel C has gone from a device that made next to no sense to a device that makes just enough sense to consider (but really only if you're wholly invested in the Android ecosystem). On a phone it's a little less important than on a tablet, but nevertheless really helpful in a pinch.

There is another multitasking tweak that I found myself using all the time, though. Double tapping the square button immediately switches to the last-used app. I hadn't realized how much of my app switching comprised just toggling between two recent apps, and now that I can do it so easily I can't really imagine going back.

Last and least: Nougat reduces the number of apps that appear in the multitasking view and adds a "clear all" button at the top of it. Google's recommendation has long been that there's no need to quit out of apps to improve Android's performance and I don't see any reason that would be different in Nougat. But if you like getting rid of things, well, have at it.

Notifications

Besides multitasking, the other notable interface change comes with notifications. Nougat finally has a system-level way for apps to let you quick-reply to messages right inside their notifications. It works as you'd expect: when you get a message, you can drag down on the card, tap reply, and then type and send — all without opening the app.

Notifications are now full-width on the screen and stacked right atop each other instead of appearing as separated cards. You can do more with them, too: apps can "bundle" multiple alerts into a single notification, which can then be expanded by dragging down on it. It’s a smart system that I like using: you can triage notifications quickly or interact with them one by one, depending on your needs.

A long press brings up notification options for that app, which makes it much easier to quiet noisy apps. You can still dismiss notifications by swiping them away, of course. And Nougat also continues one of Android's best notification features: they act exactly the same whether you're in the notification drawer, the lock screen, or seeing them drop down from the top of your screen.

Those last two things — swiping to dismiss and consistent behavior no matter where you're seeing the notification — are features that Apple still hasn't figured out on iOS (even in the upcoming iOS 10 beta). Android has long had an advantage in useful and consistent notifications, and now that quick replies are standard on it I don't see that lead diminishing.

Tweaks: for better and worse

The other thing to say about notifications is that Google has finally figured out that everybody wants to just see the quick settings panel at the top of the notifications tray right away. So now there are buttons across the top for your most-used settings toggles and you can customize their order, too. This is also where you'll find Nougat's Easter egg, a little game that lets you put treats out for virtual cats.

There are lots more nips and tucks throughout the new Android OS. The settings app is a little more informative now — it shows key details right on the main screen. There's a Data Saver feature for limiting what apps can do when you're on a cellular connection. Google's keyboard — not technically tied to Nougat — can be themed with different colors or even a photo. There are more emoji with proper support for multiple skin tones. The camera app has been cleaned up a bit — and now you can twist the phone like a screwdriver when the camera is open to quickly swap between the front and rear camera. All of these tiny changes move Android in the right direction, making it more functional without adding too much visual complexity.

Weirdly, my biggest gripe about Nougat is related to the thing you'd expect Android to be stupendously good at: Google search. It's kind of a mess. Google Now doesn't really seem to be getting any better at figuring out what information will be useful to me. Google Now On Tap is still pretty frustrating: it’s supposed to figure out what's on the screen and return relevant results, but usually returns no results or, at best, not very good ones.

But even setting that aside, the Google search app itself just seems lost and disconnected from the rest of the operating system. When you search, it puts the results into its own custom browser window that feels custom-designed for one-off searches instead of persistent research. When you Google, how often are you opening results in tabs? I do it all the time, but it's a huge hassle on Nougat. I wrote last month that Google's apps seem better on the iPhone than they do on Android, and the Google app itself is the prime candidate.

It's worst on the Pixel C, because hitting the search button on the keyboard now just brings up Now On Tap. Which means it reads the screen, fails to figure anything out, and then forces you to tap the search field to start typing. Then, when you do, it pulls up the Google app for search results. And, incredibly, the Google app doesn't support split screen — which means that every time you search, the windows you have open are banished to the multitasking screen.

Behind the screens

A lot of what's new in Nougat are features you can’t really see. I'm talking about deeply nerdy (but important) stuff like a JIT compiler for ART apps and support for the Vulkan API for 3D graphics. The former should provide some performance gains while the latter will help Android games look way better. Google also fixed up the way Android handles media so that it's more secure, added file-based encryption, and added some features for enterprise users. 

VR ON ANDROID WILL COME LATER THIS YEAR

Doze, which was introduced in last year’s Marshmallow OS, is Android's battery-saving feature that shuts apps down when they're not it use. Previously, it kicked in when your phone or tablet was sitting on a table. Now, it throttles stuff back whenever your screen is off. It should be a boon for battery life, but it’s hard for me to really say how much it will help just yet. Even though Google assures me the only difference between the final beta and the official version are minor bug fixes, I still feel like beta software can be rough on battery life. I haven’t noticed battery life being significantly better on my Nexus 5X.

My favorite structural improvement is also the one most richly steeped in Schadenfreude: seamless updates. Like Google's Chrome OS, future Android devices will ship with two storage partitions for the OS. That allows Google to quietly send your phone a whole new operating system and install it on the partition that isn't running your phone. When it's done and checked out, the next time you reboot, the new version starts working and the old version sits there — waiting to be replaced with the next version.

It's a super smart system and will mean that future Android updates will happen with much less waiting and worry. Except that, well, if you don’t have a Nexus device there’s no telling when or even if you’ll get an operating system update.

My gripes about the Google App aside, overall I am happy with Nougat. Think of it along the lines of the smaller updates we get every other year on Mac or the way that Microsoft is treating Windows updates today: it's a little bit iterative, but builds the groundwork for future updates.

One of those future updates will be Daydream, Google's upcoming VR platform. It's not part of this Nougat release, so I haven't addressed it here (and a disclosure: my wife works for Oculus so I won't be addressing it when it is released).

But, as I mentioned early on, the bigger story here is not whether Nougat is a worthwhile OS update; it is. No, the real story is which phones will receive it and when. We don't know how long it will be before a significant number of users have access to it, either via upgrades to existing devices or support from upcoming devices. All we can do is read the tea leaves. 

NO MATTER WHO YOU BLAME, THE ANDROID UPDATE SITUATION IS STILL A MESS

This is a very old story, it’s something Android users have always and will continue to deal with. At the risk of belaboring it, let me just tell some small parts again. Only15 percent of devices are on last year's version of Android Marshmallow. Android has been rocked byserious security problems in the past year, and so the debate around updates has shifted from being about users who want the latest features to being about users who need to be protected from hackers and malware.

So instead of asking about the latest version of Android, we're asking about the new monthly security updates that Google is issuing. And the answers to that new, less ambitious but more important question are not good, as Android Central pointed out in February. Now, buying a new Android phone demands that the consumer look into whether the manufacturer has committed to those monthly updates and if it has a good history of keeping that promise (so far: Samsung, HTC, and BlackBerry are doing pretty well, Moto and Sony are not).

It's possible that this time will be different, but I’m not optimistic. Every year Google tries a different tactic to strong-arm manufacturers and carriers into updating their phones. The latest is a surprisingly early developer beta program for Android N — it was first released way back in March. Maybe that will help, and there is at least one good sign: the LG V20 will be launching with Android Nougat before Google launches the next Nexus phones. It’s a start, but right now the burden of proof is on Google to convince us that more will follow. 

THE ONLY RELIABLE WAY TO BE UP TO DATE IS TO GET A NEXUS

We've all become inured to the reality that the only real way to reliably get the latest version of Android is to get a Nexus phone. Luckily, Google has mostly been doing a pretty good job with its Nexus line lately. CEO Sundar Pichai has promised that Google would be "more opinionated" about the design of Nexus phones going forward. I'm very curious to see exactly what that means — and whether that opinion extends to trying harder to sell more Nexus phones.

I'm curious because given how recalcitrant manufacturers and carriers have been about updating Android and given how ineffectual Google has been at forcing them to do so, selling more Nexus phones looks like the only way Google has left to reliably get people on its latest Android operating system.

It’s been a problem for as long as Android has been around and even though it’s not new, it’s still a problem. Nougat is a solid update, it’s a shame it will take so long for anybody to see it.

Photography by James Bareham.

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How to get Android notifications on your Windows PC

Thanks to the recent Windows 10 Anniversary Update, you can now get Android notifications on your Windows 10 PC.

This feature works through Cortana and the Cortana app for Android (there's a Cortana app for iOS, but iOS doesn't support this kind of fancy notification-mirroring). Once set up, yourWindows 10 action center will be able to tell you when you miss a call, receive a text or have a low battery on your Android phone. You will also be able to receive app notifications from any app you have installed, and you can even control your phone via your computer with voice commands -- for example, you can say "Hey, Cortana, find my phone," and Cortana will locate your phone on a map.

1. Download and install the Cortana app from Google Play on your Android device. Cortana is officially only available to US users; non-US users can download the app from APKMirror.

2. Open the app and sign in with your Windows account.

3. Tap the menu icon (three lines) in the upper left corner of the app and go to Settings > Sync notifications.

4. You will see four different types of notifications that can be synced: Missed call notifications, incoming message notifications, low battery notifications, and app notifications.

The first three will be turned on by default, but the fourth -- app notifications -- needs notification access before it can be turned on. Once you turn this option on, you will see a new menu option that lets you choose specific apps to sync (or not sync).

5. Open Cortana on your Windows 10 device and go to Settings > Send notifications between devices. This option must be turned on in order for Android syncing to work.

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Samsung Notebook 7 Spin review

The Samsung Notebook 7 Spin feels like it just might languish in the land of the in-betweens: it’s got a lot of oomph, including a dedicated graphics card, but it isn’t meant for hardcore PC gamers; it can handle video and photo editing, but it’s too heavy for producers to lug around on a regular basis; it makes an excellent stay-at-home laptop, but some people won’t want to spend more than $1,000 on that.

Yup, just as Samsung has started makingsuper sleek, thin notebooks, it has made a 15-inch workhorse of a laptop that wouldn’t catch your eye unless someone dropped it in your lap — and you would definitely notice it then, because it’s heavy.

It also has one of those hinges that lets the display fold all the way back until it’s a tablet, not unlike the Lenovo Yoga series, the Asus ZenBook Flip, or the Acer Spin 7. Bend-y laptops are on trend, and they do serve a purpose for some people; every time I call it a gimmick, I inevitably get a note from a reader who loves watching video on his laptop in tent mode, or who appreciates that she’s getting both a laptop and a tablet for the price of one. Still, studies have shown that these devices are still primarily used as laptops.

But, despite its boring appearance, the Samsung Notebook 7 Spin is not a bad laptop — at all. Samsung is aiming this at people who watch a lot of video, or edit a lot of media, and it makes a good case for that. It’s actually a really powerful Windows 10 machine with dual hard drives, up to an Intel Core i7 processor, a minimum of 12GB of (swappable) RAM, and a full-HD touchscreen display. For people who use their laptops more like desktops, it will do the job for them — and compared with other powerful 15-inch laptops, it’s reasonably priced.

It’s basically the Camry of 15-inch laptops: it will get you very far, but it's not going to turn heads along the way.

First things first: I should note that the Notebook 7 Spin I’ve been using, with the 15.6-inch display, is not the only model available. There’s a Notebook 7 Spin with a 13-inch display, a single hard drive, a Core i5 processor, and eight gigabytes of RAM that starts at $800. For a lot of interested buyers that one will be sufficient, even though it’s not as powerful.

THE NOTEBOOK 7 SPIN'S DESIGN IS NOTHING TO GET EXCITED ABOUT

But this review is of the behemoth machine, which costs $1,199. It is unembellished with the exception of "Samsung" spelled out in slightly raised lettering on its cover. Its build is a combination of metal and plastic: tap on the top of the laptop and you’ll get a distinct metal ping, but if you tap or grip the bottom you’ll hear the dull thud of rubberized plastic. Samsung attributes the combination of materials to different factors: an all-metal laptop of this size would be heavy, expensive, and generally more difficult to manufacture.

The hinge is one design aspect I like. Unlike Lenovo’s Yoga notebooks, which have a visible hinge, Samsung’s mechanism is hidden within a smooth metal casing. It’s discreet, whether the laptop is closed, open, or in "tent" mode.

The Notebook 7 Spin is 0.78 inches thick, which is on the larger side. It doesn’t taper off, either, which usually adds to the illusion of thinness. But it depends, of course, on what you compare it to. While the Notebook 7 Spin is thicker than the half-inch HP Spectre x360 15T, and just a little bit thicker than the 15-inch MacBook Pro, it’s thinner than Lenovo’s 15-inch ThinkPad Yoga.

One upside is that it’s packed with ports: HDMI, one USB-C, one USB 3.0, two USB 2.0, a "normal" SD card slot, and the standard headphone and mic jacks. It supports 4K video output. It charges super fast. All of this helps makes a case for its larger size.

IT WEIGHS A WHOPPING FIVE POUNDS

On the downside, it weighs a whopping five pounds. (For comparison’s sake: the 15-inch MacBook Pro with Retina display weighs four and a half pounds.) Twice in the past few weeks I’ve opted to travel with another laptop, just because I didn’t want to deal with carrying it around. When I do take it with me, I have to switch from a shoulder bag to a backpack. After a mile-long walk to the ballpark in downtown San Francisco the other night, it felt really, really heavy.

A few different things contribute to the weight. One of those things is the capacitive touchscreen display. It’s a really nice, bright, full-HD (1920 x 1080) 15.6-inch display with a 16:9 aspect ratio. It’s not as high-res as other laptops, but it’s sharp enough for this screen size. The Notebook 7 Spin also has a built-in HDR mode, accessible by hitting Fn + F10, that makes darks and light pop ever so slightly when you’re watching video. But the HDR mode also causes a barely perceptible flicker when a movie or TV show jumps from shot to shot and the lighting changes (for my tests I watched House of Cards on Netflix, which tends to have a lot of dark scenes, both technically and narratively). Because of that, I rarely used HDR mode.

Oh, and if you’re interested in using this as a tablet: forget about it. Its sheer size makes using a 15-inch tablet unwieldy. I did, however, take advantage of the tent mode while watching video.

THE NOTEBOOK 7 SPIN AS A TABLET? FORGET ABOUT IT

The keyboard is full-sized, roomy, and backlit, and the keys felt springy and comfortable. In short, I liked everything about it with the exception of the trackpad alignment. As with a lot of 15-inch laptops, the extra real estate allows room for a number pad on the right-hand side, which means the trackpad is off-center to the left (although centered to the alphabetic keys). Switching from a standard laptop to this one means getting used to a trackpad that feels misaligned, and even when I adjusted to it I still inadvertently right-clicked from time to time.

The 15-inch Notebook Spin 7’s best features, though, are under the hood. The top-of-the-line model I've been testing has a 2.5GHz Intel Core i7 processor, a 128GB solid state drive, and a one-terabyte hard drive. It comes with 16GB of RAM, which can be swapped out for two 16GB RAM modules for a total of 32GB of RAM. It boots up fast, thanks to the SSD, which takes care of Windows 10 and your programs (the 1TB hard drive is there for media storage). Naturally, it supports modern wireless protocols and Bluetooth 4.1. Its graphics card, a Nvidia GeForce 940MX, is decent; most hardcore gamers would be looking for something more powerful. But, this isn’t one of those laptops. When it came to everyday stuff, like keeping multiple tabs open in Chrome and streaming video, this laptop handles my workload just fine.

ITS MOST IMPRESSIVE SPECS ARE UNDER THE HOOD

Battery life was okay in both official and unofficial / everyday tests, but did fall below Samsung’s claims. Samsung says it should get between eight and ten hours of battery life; in my test, which involved turning off all power saving settings, fixing the display at 65 percent brightness, and running a continuous loop of web pages in Chrome, it lasted just about seven hours. In everyday usage it would get me five hours or less — not enough to get through an entire work day, but few laptops do.

The Samsung Notebook 7 Spin isn’t a laptop for everyone; I personally wouldn’t buy it, because I’m willing to sacrifice some features for portability. But if you happen to be looking for a 15-inch Windows 10 laptop that "bends" and can support a fairly heavy workload, this one should at least be a consideration. Samsung has managed to cram a lot of power into a $1,199 15-inch laptop, compared with the $1,2999 Lenovo ThinkPad Yoga 15, the less powerful $1,249 HP Spectre x360 15T, and the unbending $2,229 Dell XPS 15 and $1,999 15-inch MacBook Pro. That alone is a feat, even if its design is not.

Photos by James Temple

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3DS Super Mario Maker

Pre-order box art for the 3DS port ofSuper Mario Maker reveals that the game won’t make use of the 3D functionality that the handheld device is named for.

The Wii U has had a rough run since its release, but it’s nonetheless had some great games, including Super Mario Maker. It comes as no surprise that Nintendo is bringing the game to its far more popular device, the portable 3DS, but what is unexpected is its reported lack of 3D functionality.

Although one of the Nintendo 3DS’s main selling points is the ability to play games in 3D without 3D glasses or cumbersome headsets, Super Mario Maker allegedly won’t support the feature. This information comes via a pre-order listing on the Canadian EB Games website, which displays box art that clearly stipulates that it can only be played in 2D.

Super Mario Maker 3DS isn’t set to release for several more months, but it’s unlikely that this box art is inaccurate. Nintendo hasn’t officially announced that the game will only be playable in 2D, nor provided any reason for this choice. However, keeping the game in the same 2D format that the Wii U version was in most likely means that porting it to a new device was an easier task than rebuilding the game to appear in 3D via the 3DS’s stereoscopic display.

Gamers who love Super Mario Maker for the ability to create every zany level they can think of probably won’t be too bothered by the lack of 3D functionality, but it’s one more feature that the 3DS version lacks. Unlike the Wii U version, players won’t be able to easily access other players’ courses, as the Course ID functionality won’t be included in the 3DS version of the game. However, it’s not all bad news, as gamers will be able to share courses with other players over wi-fi connections, as well as participate in creating courses together with friends.

It’s hard to say why Nintendo chose to make the 3DS version of Super Mario Maker only playable in 2D, but the power – or lack thereof – of the 3DS could be to blame. Gamers have created impossibleSuper Mario Maker courses that are loaded with multitudes of traps, monsters, and effects. The developers may have discovered that the 3DS couldn’t handle everything gamers could potentially build in a level. Although the New Nintendo 3DS is more powerful and might have been able to handle the strain, choosing to only release Super Mario Maker for the newest version of the handheld would surely alienate some Nintendo fans.

Is the lack of 3D visuals in Super Mario Maker 3DS a deal breaker for you, Ranters? Let us know in the comments below.

Super Mario Maker for the Nintendo 3DS will release on December 2nd, 2016.

Source: EB Games

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Mortal Kombat X Cheats: Top 8 Tips

1. Choosing a character in Mortal Kombat X is not as easy as you might think. You first have to be familiar with all three fighting styles, which can vary so much that they might make you think you’re playing a different character. You might, for example, like Kitana’s Royal Storm fight style, but not her Mournful variant (which basically turns her into Jade from MK9).
2. Keep in mind Mortal Kombat X is very different to MK9 and Injustice: Gods Among Us. Even if you’ve played these games before, you’ll still need time to get used to the gameplay and the character you choose. It is therefore important you spend some time in Training Mode before going for some multiplayer fights.
3. Another important thing to keep in mind is meter management. There’s the standard meter which controls your Enhanced Special Moves and X-Ray attacks, but also a stamina meter located below the health bar which controls Breakers and running. For instance, a Breaker needs two stocks of your standard meter, in addition to at least half your stamina meter.
4. There are quite a lot of new characters in Mortal Kombat X, so even if you don’t like playing as all of them, it’s still useful to head over to Training Mode and try out all the different fighting style variations. At least you’ll know what to expect when you have to eventually defend against these new characters.
5. Frame rate data is shown in your character’s move list, and even though you don’t need to use this information to be good at the game, it can still help you a lot. You should at least look for the Block Advantage section of the frame data – if the Block Advantage on an attack is higher than -7, the attack can be countered by most characters if it’s blocked. You should try to avoid using these kinds of attacks unless you cancel into a safe special move.
6. A great way to hit your opponent is by finding at least one attack that hits overhead and one attack that hits low. Combining these attacks will certainly surprise you opponents, as they try to guess what they will have to block next. The best way to do this would be to find an overhead or low attack that leads into a combo.
7. Most characters have at least one enhanced special move that has armor, meaning it will go through at least one of your opponent’s attacks if timed correctly. This can help you get out of a tight spot, or at least interrupt an opponent’s attack allowing you to start your own combo.
8. You should practice wakeup attacks in Training Mode in order to be ready to get off the ground when pressured by an opponent. Enhanced attacks that have armor work very well as wakeup attacks, so you should practice them in Training Mode by recording the AI opponent knocking you down, and attacking just as you stand up. If the AI attack beats your wakeup attack, it means either your enhanced wakeup attack doesn’t have armor (not all characters have armor attacks), or should keep practicing your timing.

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BioShock: The Collection PC

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2K reveals the minimum and required PC specifications it takes to run and play its forthcoming first-person shooter release of BioShock: The Collection.

It won’t be long before BioShock: The Collection‘s release date comes about next week, so a lot of PC fans of the dystopian titles are surely wondering if their respective rigs will be able to support the games’ newly enhanced visuals. Thankfully, 2K has now published a brief FAQ about the upgrades the developers at Blind Squirrel Games have made, as well as a list of of all the minimum and recommended specifications necessary to run BioShock: The Collection on the platform.

Of course, with BioShock: The Collection containing three games in total, in addition to every piece of post-launch content developed for each of the releases, fans should not only expect their PCs to be pushed to the limits in terms of technical specs, but also when it comes to hard drive space. Players on the platform can get a gander at the detailed hardware and software specifications forBioShock: The Collection right here, and will then need to start clearing out at least 70 gigabytes of memory in order to install the trilogy pack.

Furthermore, 2K has also provided upgrade instructions for players who bought the Games for Windows Live versions of BioShock and BioShock 2. Should fans own the first two games of the franchise on Steam, then they will simply receive the remastered versions upon their release, but in order to upgrade the Games for Windows Live copies to BioShock: The Collection‘s standards, players will have to go the extra mile.

For the original BioShock, gamers will have to submit a ticket to 2K Support with a scan of the purchase’s original receipt, a confirmation email, or any other way in which one can prove that the purchase of the first entry in the series was legitimate. Getting BioShock 2 prepared for the upgrade won’t be as demanding, though, for players can just enter their Games for Windows Live key into Steam, and it will be added to their libraries once BioShock: The Collectionofficially drops.

As previously announced, BioShock: Infinite will not be receiving the remaster treatment on PC, for according to developers, “it already meets current-gen console standards and runs smoothly on high visual settings.” That said, players should expect the graphics for Infinite and the first two titles inBioShock: The Collection to display at 1080p and run at “up to” 60 FPS.

Those fans who are still not completely sold on purchasing BioShock: The Collection because of the refinements made to the original titles can make a more educated decision by watching this graphics comparison trailer to get a better idea of how the games look next to their standard iterations. Hopefully, if BioShock: The Collection‘s sales are favorable enough, 2K will decide to move forward with the development of another entry in the franchise, as many are of the opinion that it’s time for a new game in the series.

BioShock: The Collection is set to release on September 13, 2016 for PlayStation 4 and Xbox One, while its PC version becomes available on September 15, 2016.

Source: Steam (via GameSpot)

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Watch BioShock

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2K releases the official launch trailer to promote the recent release ofBioShock: The Collection on PlayStation 4 and Xbox One, and its impending availability on PC.

With BioShock: The Collection having just released today for PlayStation 4 and Xbox One, publisher and developer 2K has decided to give console owners a taste of the otherworldly environments, over-the-top combat, and supernatural action available within the remastered dystopian trilogy by putting out an official launch trailer. Of course, since PC fans still have to wait until this Thursday, September 15, for the anthology to release on Steam, the trailer should serve as an appetizer of sorts, and allow players on the platform to make sure the game’s PC specs jive with their gaming rigs.

As seen in the launch trailer for BioShock: The Collection below, fans of the franchise will notice plenty of familiar scenes and gameplay moments, for it provides a montage of footage from the trilogy of games, beginning with the descent into Rapture, and touching on various points in each of the titles’ stories. Plus, as is the case with all of the BioShock releases, there’s plenty of fast-paced brawling with firearms and Plasmids, in addition to lots of wonderfully detailed imagery showing both Rapture and Columbia in chaos.

For those unaware, BioShock: The Collection will give veterans of the franchise and newbies alike completely upgraded visuals for the games, as the release’s titles are set to run at 1080p and up to 60 FPS. Of course, should gamers want an even better idea of how BioShock: The Collection has revamped the originals, 2K has shared plenty of videos in the past that offer a look at the enhanced displays. For instance, fans can also check out this graphics comparison trailer to see side-by-sides of the first versions of the BioShock games next to their updated counterparts.

Furthermore, if some fans don’t consider BioShock: The Collection‘s trailers as having enough information, several weeks ago, 2K also published nearly 35 minutes of gameplay footage from each of the titles. Rather than fans taking in an edited cut of a trailer, these particular videos actually offer a look at how the refined graphics will hold up during gameplay.

Naturally, once gamers on all platforms are able to experience BioShock: The Collection, one can only hope for all of the fans on PC, PlayStation 4, and Xbox One to have a smooth, bug-free experience. After all, should the remastered anthology’s release go on to be financially successful, it’s a safe bet to make that 2K will finally begin work on a new game in the series.

What did you think of BioShock: The Collection‘s launch trailer? Did it bring back fond memories or excite you enough to purchase a copy? Let us know your thoughts in the comments.

BioShock: The Collection is out now for PlayStation 4 and Xbox One, while it’s set to launch for PC on September 15, 2016.

Source: 2K – YouTube

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NEW POKÉMON SUN & MOON TRAILER

A bunch of new Pokemon Sun and Moon details surface along with a trailer and Batman: Return to Arkham gets a new release date. Plus, next James Bond film latest.

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Final Fantasy 15 Releases Brand New

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During its PAX West panel, Square Enix debuts a brand new 50-minute gameplay video of its upcoming RPG Final Fantasy 15, showcasing a side mission and a Chocobo racing mini-game.

While fans were undoubtedly disappointed with Final Fantasy 15‘s latest release date delay from September to November, development on the long-gestating RPG is going quite well based on Square Enix’s recent showing at the PAX West 2016. During its panel at the event, the developer debuted a brand new 50-minute gameplay video of Final Fantasy 15, which showcased new side-quests, some updated gameplay mechanics, as well as some the latest version of the series’ trademark Chocobo mini-game.

The footage begins near the beginning of the game with Noctis and his entourage driving around in the Regalia, and according to director Hajime Tabata, the driving mechanics of the car have been improved in the latest build and players have greater control over the driving. The demo then moves onto a side-quest – one of over 200 – in which the characters enter into a mine shaft, where they engage in combat against some monsters such as Goblins. Not only are Final Fantasy 15’s combat mechanics and stunning visuals showcased, but it is revealed that Goblins have been updated so that they are more lethal and can now steal potions from players.

Check out the footage here, starting at the 21:20 mark:

Moving on from the mine shaft side-mission, the demo then shifts to some new footage showcasing Final Fantasy 15‘s Chocobo racing mini-game, which allows players the option to race against the other characters in Noctis’ entourage or indulge in some classic Chocobo hoop jumping. But perhaps most interestingly, the last 15-20 minutes of the demo featured some brand-new gameplay footage in which Noctis and co. infiltrate an enemy Niflheim base.

In contrast to the combat we’ve seen involving creatures and monsters, this new footage sees players fighting against mechanical enemies, to which the developers stressed that different tactics are required in order to defeat them, such as targeting specific body parts. Be aware that there were technical difficulties which interrupted the broadcast from the 57:00 mark to approximately the 1:03:00 mark, though Square Enix stressed that this was a broadcasting issue rather than an issue with the game.

And finally, the demo then culminates against a battle against Final Fantasy 15 antagonist Aranea Highwind, though the developers kept their cards close to their chest by ending the footage mid-battle.

This is the latest batch of new gameplay footage that Square Enix has released in recent weeks, no doubt in part to keep fan anticipation high for Final Fantasy 15 and to keep everyone updated on its progress. Based on what we’ve seen so far though, it appears that development for the game is coming along very nicely, and despite the latest delay, it is looking like it will indeed live up to the hype as one of 2016’s most anticipated games.

Final Fantasy 15 is scheduled for launch on November 29 for PlayStation 4 and Xbox One.

Source: Square Enix (via GameSpot)

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Gears of War 3 Easter Egg Found

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Five years after its release, Gears of Warfan group GoW TacCom discovers a Duck Hunt-like Locust shooting gallery Easter Egg hidden in Gears of War 3.

Thanks to the Internet, it’s hard for games to keep secrets before they even launch – let alone when they’ve been out in the wild for five years. However, Gears of War 3 has managed to do just that, successfully hiding a rather amusing Easter Egg from the masses since its launch on September 20th, 2011. Finally, a group of dedicated Gears of War 3 fans have managed to unearth the elusive Easter Egg, discovering a hidden mini-game in the level House of Sand.

House of Sand, which takes place in Gears of War 3‘s second act, has three coins hidden on trees throughout the level. Players have to shoot the coins in a specific order, and upon doing so, they will be granted access to a secret shooting gallery area. The shooting gallery functions similarly to the classic NES game Duck Hunt, with Locusts popping out of the ground for players to shoot out of the sky like clay pigeons or ducks. Of course, the COG marines use rocket turrets instead regulation hunting guns, but the effect is the same.

Competing in this Locust version of Duck Hunt is worth it for more than just kicks. As can be seen in the video below, players that do well in the mini-game are rewarded with weapons, with top scoring players earning aBoomshot or a Mulcher. Besides these weapons, there doesn’t appear to be any other reward tied to the hidden mini-game, however.

There’s not even an achievement attached to it, which is especially odd. A common practice in recent years has seen developers encourage players to seek out Easter Eggs by rewarding them with achievements for doing so. The developers at Epic Games must have wanted to keep this shooting gallery a secret, though, as there’s no real way to know it’s even there without getting lucky and finding the Easter Egg by accident.

Those that would like to test out the hidden bonus for themselves can simply use the video from GoW TacCom as a guide. Players should be able to check out the Easter Egg without even going through the trouble of digging out their old Xbox 360, thanks to Xbox One backward compatibility with Xbox 360 games, so avid Gears of War fans have little excuse not to return to the critically-acclaimed shooter.

Fans may also want to take the time to revisit older games in the franchise because if Gears of War 3 managed to hide this Easter Egg for so long, there’s a chance Gears 1, 2, and Judgment could have undiscovered secrets as well. They will also want to pay even closer attention to the campaign in Gears of War 4, just in case the upcoming sequels has its own batch of obscure Easter Eggs.

Gears of War 3 is available now for Xbox 360, as well as Xbox One via backward compatibility.

Source: GoW TacCom (via GamesRadar)

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